Ice Archer 4
by Dark Empress V
Summary: Malcolm Merlyn and the rest- Oliver Queen, Felicity, Diggle, Emily, go through a LOT of stuff. Read it, it is WORTH IT!


Ever since Emily came into Malcolm's life… Soon auntie Sophia had the run of the place.

Even though, the first time Emily had come there… It was so sad. All the furniture covered with sheets, all the beautiful paintings covered up too. Emily was hesitant at first, but could not help herself. She tore off the sheet from one of the paintings, then the table. That's when she saw the picture. Of Malcolm, Rebecca and Tommy. He seemed to have quite a few of those. She held it out to him, not feeling worthy to hold it, but he grabbed her hands, returning it softly and she kept staring. At this happy family, at this beautiful woman, her life cut away in her prime. Malcolm saw the anger. Emily bared her teeth like the wolf standing near her side. He racked his brain, but this woman… She seemed to want REVENGE for Rebecca's death as much as he did. He heard her take a few deep breaths… She was his love now, but there was no jealousy on her side. "We will get the bastard who did this, Malcolm, I promise" Her voice was steel. "

"How can you promise this?" She turned her eyes on him and her eyes were steel again. "Malcolm, do you doubt me? You know who I am and you know who my father is, and you know who YOU are."

Malcolm went down a memory lane, then. The pain of searching for whoever did this to his wife. The hopelessness he got for his efforts. The macabre of hearing this. The memory of Tommy crying at HER FUNERAL. The agony of leaving his son, to run. Run from WHAT? The further he run, the more agony he felt. He ran for his own selfish reasons, but he could not stay. Had he stayed, he would only hurt Tommy, and he could not bear that.

Now, coming back into that house… The house he had shared with Rebecca…

He had to face it someday.

Emily held his hand all through this and he was grateful not to be alone. And he did had Rebecca's approval, given in his dream-conversations with her.

Emily felt at a loss how to approach this. She had not gone near her mother's house after she had been killed by the mob, but she felt she had to do THIS for Malcolm. She instinctively felt he had to grab a few things from the house, that he needed to face this at some point. They had to remain there short, because the League knew it was one of the places they might be.

Oliver, Diggle and Felicity followed them into the Merlyn Mansion slowly, Felicity taking the lead.

"Stay quiet." She said firmly, taking the lead for the first time.

Oliver and Diggle looked at each other, surprised, but understanding, and slowing their pace. Whatever they might think of Merlyn, they understood loss. Whatever Merlyn had become after, he deserved his time.

Emily could not help herself, but she kept pulling off the covers. Malcolm did not seem to try to respond.

"Rebecca would not want it to be covered like this." She said.

He had to agree.

Aunt Sophia emerged from down the staircase. "Mr. Merlyn. I hope you don't mind me being here. Emily told me she wanted the house taken care of. For Rebecca."

Malcolm stood there for a while, looking at the woman. Unsure for a while, then he saw the kindness in her eyes, and he saw how similar she was to Emily.

He was not used to kindness.

"Thank you" he said curtly and shook the woman's hand.

Emily ran over with Caress by her side. "Malcolm, this is my aunt, Sophia. I asked her to take care of the house. Hope you do not mind. "

"I don't Emily", he answered with a warm smile.

"So tell me more about yourself" – he guided her aunt to the couch, uncovered by Emily, being his gentleman self, while Oliver, Felicity and Diggle stopped at the door, ready to listen.

"Well, I am a businesswoman." – her aunt said curtly.

Malcolm looked interested, as a businessman would.

"What kind of business?"

"Sales"

"My husband and I are in a business partnership" – he nodded curtly – "We sell things like healthcare machines, herbs, products." He felt respect for her as a businesswoman.

"Thank you, for what you are doing here." – he looked her straight in the eye and she saw Emily squeeze his hand. He instinctively knew her aunt knew they were in love and that she found his, Rebecca's and Tommy's photo. He was surprised, however, when Sophia moved to hug him.

"I'm sorry" – she said, tears flooding her eyes. "I've been in this house for so long… What you must have gone through…"

He never expected this. Emily kept squeezing his hand.

Then Oliver, Felicity and Mr. Diggle walked in.

"Felicity, can you please help me take the sheets off the furniture?" Emily asked, running up to the girl.

"It's allright", Merlyn said, answering their unasked question.

Malcolm steeled himself to talk to Oliver and Diggle.

Oliver was surprisingly compassionate. "I'm sorry" – were his first words. Diggle was not far to follow. "So am I"

"Thank you" was all Malcolm could say before his breath gave out.

"Can we see the house?" Oliver asked tentatively, seeing the bow bag Merlyn still held in his hand.

Malcolm gathered himself, his back straight now, ready to face everything. He threw a glance at Emily, a short nod that it was ok. She nodded back at him, knowing it was not easy but necessary.

Oliver, Felicity and Diggle kept observing him, but all he did was lead them up the stairs.

"This is the bedroom." He said in a flat voice, memories flooding his mind.

Neither Oliver or Diggle knew what to say.

Oliver found his words in the end.

"I'm sorry" - was all he managed to say.

He only heard Merlyn gather himself and breathe a loud breath, not saying a word.

They moved away.

"Thank you." He muttered after a minute.

"Can we go on forward?" Diggle asked, cautiously.

"Yes." Malcolm grabbed one of the sheets like Emily did and Oliver could not stop himself from grabbing his hand.

"What?" The man asked, surprised.

"Malcolm, no. " And then Malcolm Merlyn found himself in an embrace. From Oliver Queen of all people.

"Just lean into it. " Oliver said. And oh, did Malcolm oblige. "Why?" He asked slowly, the softness of the question surprised Oliver. "Because you have proved yourself." –

"How?"

"Just accept it"

Merlyn took a deep breath and looked at Oliver.

"Thank you" – he said yet again this day. Eyes met eyes. Oliver knew honesty when he saw it, as surprising as it was from Malcolm Merlyn.

Oliver held his eyes and knew it was true.

The man was honest. True. Finally, a hope he would honor his promise. Oliver felt loved again.

"Oliver." Arms around his, Malcolm's arms. True. "Please do not go. I'm sorry."

He did not know what to say. "About what?" He asked, his eyes full of accusation.

"About your father." These blue eyes were full of..Questions.

Malcolm swallowed, then looked the boy straight in those eyes.

Merlyn lowered his eyes, as he rarely did. The confession came suddenly and what would follow was up to Oliver.

"Like you suspected… I killed him. I am the one responsible for the Queen's Gambit catastrophe."

"How?" was Oliver could manage.

Malcolm lowered his eyes. There was no more time for lying now. Whatever the consequences.

"Robert told me he was going on a trip. In his yacht. Chen and me knew this. I…" his voice broke for a minute. "Do you know his daughter was raped?" Oliver's eyes said he did not. Malcolm closed his for a while, but the he opened then again. "She was." Oliver gasped.

"He wanted revenge." Malcolm said flatly. "Just as the Group wanted. Like I want. They all lost someone." – he closed his eyes then. Silence reigned and Malcolm whispered…"Like you, Oliver lost your father on the Gambit."

"He killed himself to save me" – fell from Oliver's mouth. "He shot himself to the head"

Merlyn's pained gaze almost killed him.

"What?" he asked, his eyes… watering?

"He shot himself in the head" Oliver said flatly, looking for humanity in this man he almost came to trust.

Malcolm could not breathe. This was beyond. Robert. "Sorry" seemed beyond trivial.

"Oliver…" was all he could manage to say.

"What?"

The boy was merciless, as he should be.

Malcolm felt he could not stand stand straight, but he felt Oliver deserved no less.

"Oliver, hurt me, somehow"

The boy looked at him.

Malcolm expected a kick, or something a warrior would do… But Oliver simply went up to his backpack, poured some liquid from a bottle into a glass and said: "Drink this."

Merlyn looked at the clear white liquid what seemed to be water and downed it in a few gulps. It did taste like water.

Then he started to choke.

It was not curare, it was something else.

A poison.

Oliver approached him and said:

"Taste good?"

Malcolm retched but kept himself from throwing up.

"It's something I learned to brew on the island, where you so kindly sent me" – Oliver's voice was stone cold.

"Let's see how it works on you"

It burned. It made Malcolm howl with pain, and before anyone knew it, Oliver whisked him away in his car to a forest. Emily tried to chase the car, but there was no use.

Merlyn trashed in the backseat, the pain killing him.

"Feeling good?" Oliver threw a question over his shoulder, as the man in the back screamed.

"Merlyn?" He stopped the car and asked suddenly, as the man kept screaming in pain, no release in sight. He climbed onto the backseat, tried to hold the man in place. "Malcolm !" There was no pretending here. Malcolm kept writhing and shaking, there was nothing Oliver could do… "Robert!" Malcolm screamed at some point. "Wake up!" Oliver screamed then, shaking him.

"I am awake." -came a hoarse whisper- "That is what you wanted, wasn't it?"

Oliver's mouth closed. Malcolm kept writhing and shaking and moaning in pain.

"I'm sorry" Oliver kept saying, leaning over the man he had drugged with a poison he did not even know well.

An experiment. A punishment. For his father.

He felt disgusted with himself now. Malcolm's eyes opened for a few seconds.

"I deserve it."

It was all he said before he passed out.

"Malcolm"! Emily came crashing into the car.

"What have you done?!" She screamed. "I'm sorry", was Oliver could repeat."

Malcolm's moans kept tearing a hole into her heart.

"No, you are not." She said flatly, their gazes meeting.

"Now I am."

"Then help me get him out of this." She said determinedly, kneeling by Merlyn's side.

"Malcolm?" Oliver said tentatively and was again surprised today as Malcolm woke up and held him tight. Emily watched them, wide eyed. Talk about mending fences…

Felicity and Diggle ran after them and stood, feeling at a loss what to do.

Diggle saw Merlyn thrash about in pain, Oliver and Emily leaned over him, trying to hold away his convulsions. Oliver clearly regretted his impulsive action. Emily seemed ready to kill the man. Diggle laid a steadying hand on her shoulder.

"Mr Queen." - he called officially, the military man in him taking over. Do you have your herbs with you?"

Oliver turned, leaving one hand on the trashing Malcolm. "Yes, in the car."

"Go." Was all Diggle said, letting go of Emily.

Oliver ran for his car while Diggle let Emily ran to the car, running after her himself to see that the man there remained breathing. "Malcolm!" She screamed, as she saw him writhing in pain. Diggle moved in, his arm pushing her away. Whoa. Oliver did a number on this man. He was clearly in as much pain as if Oliver had shot him.

"Help is coming" Was all he could say. Merlyn seemed not to care.

Running footsteps told him Oliver was back.

"I Have it."

Diggle pulled Emily out of the car.

Oliver leaned over Malcolm, pushing the herbs mixed with some water from a bottle down his mouth. Merlyn choked for a moment, then swallowed, coughing.

Diggle had to hold Emily firmly by her arms to keep her from most likely KILLING Oliver.

"There now. Just let it work." He said as Malcolm swallowed the cure.

"I'm sorry" Oliver repeated.

Malcolm lay still for a while, making Oliver remember the time when he and Tommy tried to give him the blood transfusion. Would this "experiment" require this? What had he done? The Arrow did not recognize himself. What had he become?

Suddenly Merlyn started coughing violently, his eyes open, looking at Oliver. "Oliver, thank you for your help." He kept breathing haggardly, gathering himself up from the car backseat. Oliver moved to let him climb back out. Diggle let Emily run. "Malcolm!" She hugged him very softly, seeing how much pain he was still in.

"Let's go back into the house." – he said quietly, slowly leading the way.

Diggs and Oliver threw a glance at each other.

Malcolm entered the home, Emily by his side. She saw the pain in his eyes. Pain from poison still tearing through him, he started to pull the sheets from all the furniture and paintings in the house, like she had before.

He seemed to be in a frantic haze, going from furniture to furniture, tearing the sheets off, then upstairs, Emily at his side, tearing the white sheets off as well.

"I'm done" – he finally said. Emily seemed to know what he meant, but Felicity and Diggs were confused.

Only Oliver had the courage to ask this: "What are you done with, Merlyn?"

"This house. Tommy can have it if he wants and sell it to get the proceeds. I will make the arrangements"

THAT was a change, Oliver thought. The father who had practically disinherited Tommy, was leaving him a mansion worth millions.

Diggle looked around the place. WOW.

Malcolm noticed Diggle's look and took it under consideration.

He picked up his phone, dialing Tommy's number.

"Dad? I've been trying to call you. I've been so worried." His son said. "Tommy. I have a question to ask you." Malcolm said, his voice level, putting the phone on loud voice, making all of them confused.

"What?" Tommy asked, clearly flabbergasted by the call from his father.

"This is serious, Tommy."

"What, you are talking about one of the company deals? I thought I handled them well…"

"You did son." Oliver noticed Merlyn's voice could not sound more proud. "It's about the house. I'm signing it over to you. I want you to have it."

"What? The mansion?"

"Yes"

A moment of silence reigned.

"And what am I supposed to do with it?"

Malcolm stayed silent for a bit.

"Make your mother proud" was all he said.

Tommy understood "I will"

"What?" Tommy clearly


End file.
